From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 5: Faced with the Supreme Court’s directive to the Centre to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) by February 20, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday vowed to fight for protecting the interests of the State, the farmers in the Cauvery basin and the people of Bangalore and other towns depending on Cauvery for their drinking water.

Making a statement in the State Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to refrain from notifying the final awad till the disposal of two civil petitions pending in the Supreme Court and a review petition in the Tribunal.

Shettar told the Legislative Assembly that the Government would fight a legal battle to ensure justice to farmers of the State. There was no compromise in safeguarding the State’s share in water, he said.

The State Government has decided to convene a meeting of floor leaders of the State legislature on Wednesday to discus a strategy to be adopted in the wake of the Supreme Court order to the Centre to notify the Tribunal award before February 20, 2013.

Shettar said the government was ready for a detailed debate on the issue in the House. There was no change in the Government’s stance.

“We explained our position before the Cauvery River Authority meeting presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” he said.

Pointing out that the Cauvery issue must be discussed apolitically, he said the Government was ready to hear views of the Opposition leaders.

State’s Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai said: ''There is no change in the Government’s stand with regard to the Tribunal award.”

The State has been urging the Centre to notify the Tribunal award only after the Supreme Court disposed off its two petitions and the review petition by the Tribunal.

On the release of two TMCft water to Tamil Nadu, he said the Supreme

Court has not fixed any time frame to release the water.

The Apex Court on Monday directed Karnataka to release two TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and asked the Central Water Commission to file report on the water requirement of the two warring states.

Bommai said the Supreme Court would hear the matter on February 6. ''Let us see what happens,” he said.
Earlier, the opposition Congress and JD(S) members made opposed notification of the 2007 Tribunal award contending that the move would amount to grave injustice to the State’s interests.

Congress Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah referred to the Supreme Court order in which it was mentioned that Karnataka had expressly stated that it had no objections to its notification, and demanded that the Government clarify its stand on the issue.

“Why this sudden change in the Government’s stand?” he asked and demanded a detailed debate on the issue.

JD(S) leader H D Revanna said it would not be wrong to say that the notification is a “mortal blow” to the State.